The IRS Scandal, Day 1052

Peter J. Reilly (Forbes), Sixth Circuit Looking To Protect Taxpayers From IRS Not IRS From Taxpayers:

Day 1049 of the IRS Scandal is the first day in a while with a real development. In the NorCal Tea Party Patriots litigation the IRS has really gotten slapped around by the Sixth Circuit for its dilatory conduct in long running litigation. The decision starts out by reiterating the preferred right wing narrative of the interminable never ending scandal. ...

At issue in this particular decision are lists of organizations flagged of special attention using “Be On the Lookout” criteria and two spreadsheets that the IRS provided to the Inspector General.  The reason the plaintiffs want the lists is to identify the members of their “class” in the putative class action suit.  The IRS has been refusing to turn over the lists arguing that they are “return information.” ...

As with any decision against the IRS in the interminable scandal, there is a good bit of coverage of the decision. I won’t try to duplicate the TaxProf and instead will refer you to Day 1049, Day 1050 and Day 1051.

The best discussion I have seen is on Paul Streckfus’s EO Tax Journal, which is not free. There are two main narratives of the scandal.  The one embraced by those who continue to pay attention is that there was a deliberately orchestrated conspiracy to impede the work of conservative groups.  The other is that the IRS has certain bureaucratic limitations in its ability to handle competing priorities and that the Tea Party applications created a perfect storm to bring out the worst in the Service .  Fundamentally the IRS can do some discreet things very well, but when you want it to walk and chew gum at the same time, things are less good.  Throw in people outside with political agendas pushing in opposite directions and the chance of paralysis is high.

• BizPac Review, Time’s Up! Fed-Up Appeals Court Slams IRS; Demands Tea Party Case Documents
• Christian Post, IRS Must Turn Over List of Targeted Tea Party Groups to Allow for Class Action Lawsuit, Appeals Court Rules
• Wall Street Journal, What Is the IRS Hiding?

• The IRS Scandal, Day 1051 (Mar. 25, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1050 (Mar. 24, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1049 (Mar. 23, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1048 (Mar. 22, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1047 (Mar. 21, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1046 (Mar. 20, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1045 (Mar. 19, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1044 (Mar. 18, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1043 (Mar. 17, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1042 (Mar. 16, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1041 (Mar. 15, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1040 (Mar. 14, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1039 (Mar. 13, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1038 (Mar. 12, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1037 (Mar. 11, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1036 (Mar. 10, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1035 (Mar. 9, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1034 (Mat. 8, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1033 (Mar. 7, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1032 (Mar. 6, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1031 (Mar. 5, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1030 (Mar. 4, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1029 (Mar. 3, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1028 (Mar. 2, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1027 (Mar. 1, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1026 (Feb. 29, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1025 (Feb. 28, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1024 (Feb. 27, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1023 (Feb. 26, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1022 (Feb. 25, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1021 (Feb. 24, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1020 (Feb. 23, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1019 (Feb. 22, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1018 (Feb. 21, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1017 (Feb. 20, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1016 (Feb. 19, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1015 (Feb. 18, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1014 (Feb. 17, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1013 (Feb. 16, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1012 (Feb. 15, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1011 (Feb. 14, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1010 (Feb. 13, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1009 (Feb. 12, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1008 (Feb. 11, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1007 (Feb. 10, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1006 (Feb. 9, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1005 (Feb. 8, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1004 (Feb. 7, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1003 (Feb. 6, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1002 (Feb. 5, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1001 (Feb. 4, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 901-1000 (Oct. 27, 2015 - Feb. 3, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 801-900 (July 19, 2015 - Oct. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 701-800 (April 10, 2015 - July 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)